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Boy, 7, shot in Clifton home

A 7-year-old Clifton boy dodged serious injury Thursday night when he was accidentally shot with a youth-sized .22-caliber rifle, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department said.

Deputies said another child inside the townhome at 3220 E. Hall Court, Unit G, was responsible for the accidental shot.

Deputies also said the boy’s injuries were not life-threatening, and that he was treated and released from Community Hospital on Thursday evening.

The owner of the rifle involved in the incident — a Rascal .22-caliber single-shot model by Savage — is Jennifer Williams, who lives at that address, according to a Sheriff’s Department evidence inventory report that was left on the door of the townhome.

A single spent .22-caliber shell casing and a similarly sized bullet found between the walls of Williams’ apartment and the unit next door were recovered at the scene, according to the report.

Williams couldn’t be reached for comment. Nobody answered the door at the townhome Friday.

A neighbor told The Daily Sentinel the apartments on either side of Williams’ unit are currently unoccupied.

The National Rifle Association describes the Savage Rascal rifle as “a top-notch training tool for young shooters.” The Savage catalog offers the Rascal in colors like bright yellow, orange, red, blue and pink.

Colorado Bureau of Investigation records indicate Williams, 29, is facing charges of felony theft from an at-risk adult of less than $500. The theft was alleged to have happened on June 1, and Williams was arrested on Nov. 3, according to CBI. Williams is due back in court Jan. 2.

Specific details of Williams’ theft arrest were not available Friday afternoon.

On a Facebook page labeled with the name Jennifer Williams, and with numerous pictures posted that match the description of the woman in the theft case, the lead picture is a woman smiling broadly as she sits with two young, blond-haired children — one a young boy, the other a young girl who appears slightly older.

A young neighbor said “two kids, both blonde” live at the address where police say the shooting occurred. Another neighbor called them “good kids” and said they were well-behaved.

The Facebook page indicates Williams used to work at La Villa Grande Care Center in Grand Junction, which offers rehabilitation care to patients, including at-risk adults.

A picture posted to the page on Aug. 24 of a pair of Airsoft pistols contains the caption: “Hopin this will make me feel better. Go on Sunday shot out some aggression. And my ex huband is buying me and pink hand gun….”

One of her friends replied in a post: “JUST PLEASE BE CAREFUL. LOVE YOU.”

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By Andrew Bowers - Saturday, December 29, 2012

If only there had been more loaded guns lying randomly around the home this all could have been avoided.